Rebuilding a Friendship
by KathleenvLeFiles
Summary: Elsa has just unfrozen Arendelle, and all seems well, but the relationship that Anna wants with Elsa just simply isn't there. The girls must work to repair what was lost during Elsa's thirteen years of isolation, and actually get to know each other. It won't be easy, but throughout the journey is the discovery of friendship and love.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** All Frozen rights belong to Disney.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE<strong>

"Slide, and pivot! And slide, and pivot!" repeated Olaf energetically as he skated around the people of Arendelle. Those that he passed stared at him for a second in awe and disbelief, before remembering that they were also ice skating in the castle's courtyard, in the middle of the summer. Children were sliding and skating around the ice, squealing and giggling as they chased each other and the friendly snowman. The adults were in on the fun too; those who knew how to ice skate performed dances and tricks that dazzled everyone. Those who didn't know what to do, well, they held each other up and took small steps at a time.

One of those people happened to be Princess Anna, who clung tightly to her older sister so not to fall. "Oh, Elsa, I'm never going to get this!" Anna cried in frustration, followed by a look of terror and she slipped and fell on her bottom.

Queen Elsa covered her mouth with her hand, containing a laugh, before offering a hand to her sister. "I told you, it takes practice. You can't always be perfect at something on your first try."

"Easy for you to say, you're perfect at everything," Anna replied, taking Elsa's hand and cautiously pushing herself up.

Elsa froze for a minute, staring into blank space, and whispered, "Anna, you know that's not true."

Anna's grin faded, and she grabbed Elsa's other hand. "Hey, Elsa, it's okay. You've got it now, there's no need to worry."

Elsa shook herself out of her daze and stared into Anna's turquoise-blue eyes. She gave a shaky laugh and a slight nod. "Yes, you're right. I-I think it's time that I go inside now. I'm not feeling too well."

"But we were having so much fun!" Anna protested. "And so is everyone else! Look at the kids! And Sven!"

Elsa quickly looked at the reindeer, who had put his antlers down on the ice and was pushing kids across the rink at a fast pace, nearly running everyone else over. Behind him, slipping a sliding, was Kristoff, shouting, "Sven! Sven, stop! Don't talk back to me like that! You could hurt someone!"

Anna giggled at Kristoff, the amazing man whom she had just met, and yet already felt _something_ towards.

Elsa looked back at Anna and said, "The ice will stay up until I will it to go away, they can still have fun. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Elsa turned to the castle's doors and skated across the ice quickly. Anna stared after her, a feeling of disappointment and hurt settling in her stomach. Just a day ago, Elsa had been cheerful and sociable and clinging to Anna everywhere they went. Now, it almost seemed as though she was folding into herself again, isolating herself, the very thing that had caused Arendelle to freeze over in the first place.

Kristoff made his way over to Anna and grabbed her hand. "Is...everything okay?" he asked.

Anna looked at Kristoff with fear in her eyes. "It's Elsa. She's pulling away again, I can feel it. I have to go talk to her, reason with her before she gets worked up and freezes everything again!" Anna tried to take a step to the doors, but only succeeded in falling down. Thankfully, Kristoff was right there, and he wrapped his strong arms around her waist to hold her up.

"Hang on, Anna." Kristoff said gently. "I know you want to mend things with Elsa right away. And believe me, _I_ don't want another freezing-over again either. Do you know what that did to my ice business?"

Anna smirked slightly.

"But," Kristoff continued. "You guys haven't been friends for thirteen years. That's a really long time. I know you love each other more than anything else in the world, but you hardly know one another. It's going to take some time. And not only that, but Elsa isn't a master of her powers yet. She's still scared and uncertain, I'm sure, and deathly afraid of ruining things again."

"But that's exactly what caused her to turn Arendelle into a Winter Wonderland!" Anna retorted. "She has to know that she doesn't need to be afraid and can let it all go."

"Anna, it won't be that easy. She trained herself to be afraid for thirteen years. That's a lot of training and hard work she's going to have to undo. It won't happen in a day."

"So, what do I do?" Anna asked helplessly.

"Just be there for her, physically and in spirit. That's all she needs."

Anna glanced up into Kristoff's brown eyes and gave him a genuine smile. "Since when did you become so wise and full of advise?"

"My family isn't just a bunch of love experts, you know. They're pretty wise for...rocks."

"They certainly are love experts," Anna said quietly, gazing into Kristoff's eyes.

When they had gone to visit the trolls only two days ago, the optimistic, cheery, and surprisingly creatures had decided that Kristoff and Anna were perfect for each other and were to be married right then and there. Of course, Anna and Kristoff were opposed, having only met the night before. But how right those darn little rocks had been; Anna wasn't sure if she _loved_ Kristoff just yet, but there was definitely a connection.

Kristoff nodded his head. "I told you so," before leaning in slowly, cautiously, making sure he wasn't breaking any rules. Anna's lips met his, and a rush of warmth went throughout her body. Anna didn't care what everyone thought of her, the Princess of Arendelle, kissing the mountain man who adored ice so much that he cried and talked for his reindeer. He had saved her life at the risk of losing his, and that was enough for her.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Elsa closed the castle doors behind her and sighed, leaning heavily against them. She took deep breaths, trying to calm her emotions, and hence keep her powers under control. How quickly she had gone from joyful to fearful, by what was meant to be a compliment even.

It disappointed her, and she knew she had disappointed Anna as well. But she was by no means perfect at everything. If that were the case, she never would have hit Anna's head with ice when they were younger. She would have kept control of her powers. She wouldn't have frozen her kingdom, and later, her sister. She would have been a better sister.

Elsa felt tears come to her eyes, waver for a moment, and then slide down her pale cheeks. It began to snow lightly, but she hardly noticed.

"I have no idea how to be a big sister," Elsa whispered to herself. "I don't know how to be a queen, or a friend, or how to control my powers. I can't do any of this!" More tears fell down her cheeks in a constant stream. Elsa had her fists clenched and wrapped around her waist, her head bent down in defeat.

"Your Majesty?" someone asked cautiously. "Are you alright?"

Elsa jerked her head up and met the eyes of their head butler, Kai, looking at her with worry.

"I-I'm fine," Elsa said, wiping tears from her face. She stared around her, and realized that at least three inches of snow had fallen onto the floor of the Great Hall, and icicles hung from the ceiling.

"Oh!" Elsa gasped, just realizing that her powers had reacted to her emotions and iced the room. "Hang on, I can fix this."

_I can do this_, Elsa thought. _Think of the love Anna has for me, the love Mama and Papa had for me._ Elsa held out her hands and slowly drew the ice and snow back into her until the room was back to its normal self.

"I'm sorry about that," Elsa murmured to Kai. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

"It's quite alright, Queen Elsa. I just wanted to make sure that you are okay."

Obviously she wasn't, so for Elsa to lie would be pointless. However, she just wasn't quite ready to voice all her fears and concerns just yet.

"Really, I'm fine. I just need to go lay down for a while and rest."

"Of course, Your Majesty," was Kai's reply before exiting the castle.

Elsa sighed again and walked over to the stairs at the back of the Great Hall. She slowly made her way up the the stairs that led to a small landing. On her left were the stairs that led to the hallway where her bedroom was located. To her right was the staircase that she hadn't set foot on for thirteen years. This staircase led to Anna's bedroom on the third floor, the room that she used to share with her little sister before the accident. Elsa never considered going up that staircase once her parents moved her to the other side of the castle and away from Anna. It wasn't because she didn't want to see Anna or be around her; it was because she wanted to protect her. Even now, Elsa automatically turned to her left, ready to begin the ascent up to the third floor. But some nagging thought made her pause, and she slowly turned around to the other staircase, the one that had always beckoned to her, but she refused to walk up. Was there any harm in walking up it now, though? Elsa chewed her lip, debating whether or not to give in and visit Anna's room.

_What's the problem?_ Elsa thought. _You have a handle on your powers now, you're talking to Anna again. What could go wrong when visiting my old room?_ Of course, Elsa knew that many many things could go wrong, but instead of running through the list of possible disasters, she boldy put her foot on the first step and began climbing the staircase. The purple carpet unwound in front of her, acting as a guide. Elsa paused when she reached the second floor, looking down the hallway. Something out of the ordinary compelled Elsa to walk over and take a closer look. It was a group of three suits of armor, lined up against the wall. The last two were set at attention like suits of armor should be. But the first one's right arm was twisted the wrong way, and his spear was upside down. Elsa looked at the bizarre suit with a puzzled look, wondering who could have messed it up so badly.

_Anna__?_ Elsa thought, and then shook her head. Her sister was clumsy, but not _that_ clumsy. Elsa turned around to continue her climb to the third floor. The purple carpet went around and around, and with each step she took, Elsa got more nervous. But she eventually made it to the top, turned around a corner to the left, and stared down the hallway. There was Anna's bedroom door, the first one on the right. Taking in a deep breath, Elsa walked over to the door and gingerly placed a hand on the door handle. She turned it and pushed the door open. Inside, it seemed as though nothing had changed. Of course, that wasn't true; children's toys no longer littered the floor, Anna's bed was bigger, and a bigger wardrobe had replaced the smaller one. But the placement of everything was still the same. Anna's bed was still up against the right wall, as well as all of her things. Nearly nothing occupied the space on the left, the place where Elsa's things used to be.

Elsa walked into the room and over to the vanity. She looked over Anna's things. Her hairbrush, makeup, jewelry. Seeing it all made Elsa tear up. It was just now hitting her that Anna was no longer the five year old girl that Elsa used to play with. She was a grown woman, and Elsa had missed out on all of the growing up.

Also on the tabletop was an ornate silver frame, with a painting of the royal family inside. The girls' mother sat in a chair, smiling for the painter. Anna's smile now was nearly an exact copy of their mother's. Standing behind the chair and off to the side was the king, dressed in his uniform and looking very regal. He wasn't smiling as brightly as his wife, but the trace of a smile was on his lips. Sitting on the queen's lap was five year old Anna, a huge smile on her face, her big eyes bright with joy. And then there was Elsa, standing next to her father. The grown up Elsa could not believe the similarities and differences between herself and when she was younger. She still had her hair in a braid, still kept her chin high, and stood with grace and poise, like the heiress should. But the happy smile could rarely be seen on Elsa now, and there wasn't a trace of fear in the little girl's eyes. Oh how everything had changed.

Elsa tore her gaze away from the painting and to Anna's bed. She walked over to it and ran her hand along the soft comforter. Remembering that the girls used to always share a bed at night, Elsa pushed herself onto the bed and laid down on the pillows. The smell of Anna engulfed her, and Elsa sighed with contentment. She had missed this so very much. She felt her body relax, all the tension disappear from her shoulders, and a small smile trace her lips. Curling up on her side, Elsa grabbed one of the pillows and wrapped her arms around it, inhaling the pleasant smell and lulling herself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Elsa stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes slightly. A bright ray of the setting sun was shining directly in her face, waking her from a peaceful nap. Elsa groaned and rolled over, intent on going back to sleep, when she realized that she was no longer alone in the room. Anna sat in a chair by the door, quietly reading a book. Elsa looked back over her shoulder at the sun, and put together that she had slept through the entire morning and afternoon.

"You're awake," Anna said, closing her book and placing it on her lap.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Elsa slowly asked, rubbing her temple.

"I came in about two hours ago and saw that you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you, but I also didn't want to leave," she said, ducking her head at the last statement. "I hope you don't think that's creepy."

Elsa chuckled and pushed herself up to a sitting position. "No, it's not creepy. You were just being my guardian angel. Sorry for taking over your bed."

Anna smiled and stood up from her chair. She walked over to her bed and lightly sat on top of it. "It's okay. I missed seeing you in it. Did you miss this room?"

Elsa sighed and looked around the large space. "Yes. I missed the room and the memories it holds. But really, what I missed the most was the person who lives here." Elsa reached out her hand and grabbed Anna's. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have reacted to your comment the way I did. You were paying me a compliment, and I couldn't just take it at that."

"Oh, Elsa," Anna said, squeezing her sister's hand. "It's okay, I understand. You're still scared, and that's normal. You just have to slowly lose that fear and embrace your powers."

"I don't know if I can!" the queen exclaimed. "Every time I try to get a hold of my powers, they just get worse and worse!"

"That's because you're trying to keep them in," Anna explained, hoping what she was saying would make sense. "That 'conceal, don't feel' stuff kept you from being yourself. You have to just be you and let your powers be present. It's who you are."

Elsa stared at Anna for a long moment. Then she said quietly and tearfully, "But what if I don't like who I am?"

Anna felt her heart break. Sure, she didn't like every characteristic of herself, like how clumsy she was or how she rambled a lot. But she did like the person she was. But Elsa not seeing herself as somebody to like was a terrible thought.

"Elsa," Anna said firmly, causing the older woman to look up in surprise.

"You should like yourself for who you are. You are smart and strong and loyal and devoted, all qualities that a queen should have. You are very brave and determined; do you know how much I admire you for that? And you are _so_ beautiful, even more so when you're confident in yourself. Yes, there are some things about you that aren't so great, but everyone has their own faults. Yours is that you are afraid of yourself. And that's not because you're a monster that should be feared, but because you don't have enough love in your life. Mama and Papa loved you, but they didn't allow you to be yourself. I love you with all my heart, but for thirteen years I couldn't display it. But most of all, _you_ don't love yourself, Elsa, and you should, because you are amazing."

Elsa was crying now, and Anna worried that she had caused Elsa even more pain. Suddenly, Elsa reached out to her sister and hugged her tightly, burrowing her face in Anna's neck. She was sobbing heartfelt tears. Anna started crying too, rubbing her sister's back and memorizing the way it felt to hug her.

Finally, the older sister pulled away just enough to look Anna in the eye.

"When did you become so wise?" she asked, a small smile on her face. "I feel like maybe you should be queen instead of me."

"Oh, no!" Anna exclaimed. "Me being queen would be a disaster! I'm so klutzy, and I never know when to stop talking. I would ruin every alliance this kingdom has and burn the place down within a day."

Elsa stared at Anna for a long moment, and then burst out laughing. Not just a little giggle or a chuckle, but an actual laugh that filled up the entire room with joy. Anna couldn't remember the last time she heard Elsa really laugh, and loved that it sounded deep and full, like it was coming straight from the heart. Anna joined in on the laughter and ended up falling on her back and trying to gasp for breath.

"What-what's so funny?" she asked.

Elsa looked at her and said, "Was it you who messed up that suit of armor on the second floor?"

Anna widened her eyes and began laughing again. "Yes...twice...when I was-was nine, and on the day of your...of your coronation!"

Elsa stared at Anna with a bewildered look. "How did you manage to do that?"

Anna composed herself and put on a very serious face. "Well, by the time I was nine, I had gotten pretty bored with having no one to play with. Of course I had wanted you to play with me, but you wouldn't come out of your room. So, I decided to ride my bike one day and make it interesting. I stood on the seat with one foot and managed to wheel myself around, ended up riding down the stairs, and flew off the bike. But luckily, Jim was there to catch me, and thus, I was saved.

Elsa had slapped her palm against her face, and now looked at Anna from between her fingers. "You named a suit of armor _Jim_?"

"Yes! Jim seemed like a dependable name," said Anna firmly. "Unfortunately, in order to catch the precious Princess of Arendelle, he had to drop his spear. And being a suit or armor, he couldn't pick it back up, so I did it for him. But see, I was nine, and I didn't have the muscle I have now," Anna held her arm up and flexed her muscles. "So I put it back upside down, and thought it was good enough."

"And what about the incident on my coronation day?"

Anna blushed and looked at her hands, which were still holding onto Elsa's. "Remember, I was young and naive back then."

Elsa raised her eyebrow. "And you've matured since then? Which was what? A week ago?"

"Hey! I've been through a lot in the past week!"

Elsa's face flickered slightly, as she flashed through all of the recent events. Anna quickly continued with her story to distract her.

"So I was day dreaming about meeting a prince charming that night, and I was going around the castle dancing and singing, and I shook Jim's hand, like I was meeting a prince, and it sort of...came off. I think he's getting old."

Elsa laughed softly and shook her head. "And you did meet your prince, sort of."

"Yes, even after he ran his horse into me, I still fell for him. I should have sent him away as soon as he hit me though, or I could have avoided an entire fiasco! Stupid side-burns and charming smile," Anna muttered, remembering how Prince Hans had fooled everyone into thinking he loved her.

"But now you have Kristoff," Elsa said slyly.

"Yes, Kristoff..." Anna's eyes got a dreamy look.

Elsa's stomach growled loudly, and she placed a hand on her stomach.

"Think maybe you should eat?" Anna asked.

"Probably a good idea. Come on, have dinner with me." Elsa pulled Anna off the bed and the walked out of the room, hand in hand.

"Is your favorite meal still chocolate?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, but I've made some healthier choices since then," said Anna proudly. "I'm eating chocolate-covered fruit now."

"Oh, Anna."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Long after she had gone to bed, Anna was still wide awake, tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. However, her efforts provided no results, and finally she slapped her hands on the bed and growled in frustration. It was no use. She couldn't fall asleep, not when she wanted to be near Elsa, who was on the other side of the castle.

_Would it hurt to just go and knock?_ Anna thought, and immediately felt a stab of pain. When she was younger, that had been the question she had posed to herself over and over, desperate to see Elsa. Having child-like faith, Anna had never stopped her efforts to see her sister, and the fear of being told "no" had never really lodged into her mind. Now that she was older and remembered the numerous cycles of hopefully asking and then meeting disappointment, Anna was apprehensive about asking her sister if she could spend the night with her. Anna lay in bed for several minutes, staring up at the ceiling and going back and forth between going and not going.

_The worst she can do is say no. I mean, it would be the hundred millionth time that I've gotten that answer, but will one more "no" really kill me? She might say yes! There is a good chance she will say yes! We're talking again, she's not icing me out. But what if I'm getting the wrong idea from her?_

Finally, her persistent nature won out, and Anna threw off the covers and put on her robe. Slipping out of her room, she padded down the stairs and climbed up the other staircase, the one that led to Elsa. Anna's feet felt like lead as she walked up to the queen's door. Her heartbeat was that of a hummingbird's, fast and fluttering. She held up a hand to knock, and stood there for what seemed like an eternity. Memories of her past rose up to her mind, when she little and didn't understand why the person of her adoration wouldn't play with her. Anna now knew the reason why, but still, there was a thought in her mind that she just couldn't push away.

_If she had just opened the door, _Anna thought. _She wouldn't have been isolated, causing her powers to get even worse. I could have helped her! With a twist of her wrist, all our problems could have been solved!_

An unfamiliar feeling settled in Anna's mind, hot and cold at the same it, and it took her a minute to register that it was anger. Anna was angry at Elsa, angry that the older sister had refused to see Anna when she needed her. Elsa had had a choice, she could have easily opened the door and all would have been fine. But no, she chose to stay stuck in the endless cycle in her mind that she was a monster that must be hidden away.

Anna's breath grew hot as her temper rose. Occupied with the current events and the joy that she had Elsa back, she hadn't really given thought to her other feelings.

Anna was about to turn around and go back to her room, too angry to think of being near Elsa, when the door slowly opened in front of her. Elsa stood there, in her robe, wide-awake. When she saw Anna right in front of her, the older woman jumped in surprise.

"Anna! You startled me! I was just about to come see you. I couldn't sleep," Elsa finished.

Anna said nothing, trying to control her anger.

"Are you okay? You look...mad," Elsa observed.

"I'm fine," Anna snapped.

Elsa blinked and took a step back, never having been on the receiving end of her sister's anger before. "Would you like to talk about it?" she asked softly.

Anna glared at her sister, and tears began to well up in her eyes. Then she said, "You ignored me, for _thirteen_ years. You missed all my birthdays, every Christmas, when I lost my first tooth, when I broke my arm, the first time I rode a horse by myself, Mama and Papa's funeral, that I had to deal with alone. You missed _everything_, and you chose to," Anna said hoarsely, her voice getting louder and louder as she got more worked up. "When I needed you, you weren't there! I needed my big sister to give me a hug and tell me everything would be alright, but instead you refused to open the door! And instead of telling me why you couldn't come out, you left me in the dark and let me think that I had done something wrong. I thought you hated me!" Anna's tears spilled over and she crumbled to the floor, sobbing. Her anger slowly ebbed away, and was replaced with heart-breaking sadness. "You hated me, you hated me," she repeated in between sobs.

Elsa stood in her doorway, utter shock on her face. Her arms hung limp at her sides, her eyes were wide with disbelief, and her mouth formed the shape of an "o". Ice had crept its way up the walls, and it was lightly snowing. She too was crying, because Anna was right. She had failed at her most important job, above being perfect daughter, heiress, and then queen. She had failed at being a big sister.

Elsa sank to her knees and placed a hand on Anna's shoulder.

"Anna, I never hated you. I love you with all my heart."

Anna glanced up at the older woman.

"Not seeing you grow up into the beautiful and amazing woman you are now is my biggest regret. And I can never pay you back for what I did. I failed, and I am so sorry." Elsa burrowed her face in her hands, her sobs mixing in with Anna's.

Anna looked at her sister, and let the last bit of anger go by grabbing Elsa's hand. "I forgive you," Anna simply said.

Elsa threw her arms around her sister and they clung to each other.

"I promise, I will never pass up a moment when I can be with you," Elsa said. "I've already missed so much."

Anna sighed, finally feeling set free now that she had shared her deepest feelings. She rubbed Elsa's back, and it stopped snowing and the ice retreated.

"So, I actually came here to ask you something, not yell at you and make you feel like a bad person. Which you're not! A bad person I mean. You just got a little confused and lost, but I say that in the nicest way possible!" Anna rambled.

Elsa pulled away and looked at her with an amused expression.

Anna composed herself. "I couldn't sleep, not with you all the way over here. So I was going to ask, if you didn't mind, if I could...spend the night with you, tonight?"

Elsa smiled deeply. "I was leaving to go ask you the same thing.''

So the two sisters helped each other up off the floor and walked back into Elsa's room. Anna stopped walking when she stepped inside, having never been in Elsa's room before. Anna hadn't known what to expect to see in her sister's room, and gazed at the room slowly, taking it all in.

To her left was a mirror hanging on the wall, next to a chair, which was next to Elsa's canopy bed. It was the same style as her own bed, except there was blue floral patterns painted on the rich wood, not pink. Following the bed was a floor to ceiling bookcase, crammed full of books. There were old books, new books, thick books, thin books, books that looked too expensive too touch, some that looked ancient...Anna's description of Elsa's library could go on and on. It looked as though Elsa had taken and read every book she could get her hands on, bored out of her mind with being in her room all day long.

Directly across from Anna was a triangular window, with diamond-shaped window panes, and a long window seat placed below it. To the right of the room was an armoire in the far corner, and then a grand desk with an important-looking chair placed behind it. The desk was covered in papers, pens, ink, and wax. Anna guessed that this desk was a newer addition to the room, placed here so Elsa could do her queenly duties alone. Also stacked on the desk were more books, and leaning on the side of it was a violin.

Anna's eyes finally made their way back to Elsa, who was standing in the middle of the room, clenching her hands.

"What do you think?" Elsa asked nervously.

"You sure like to read a lot! I've never seen so many books in a bookcase before. And do you play the violin? Elsa, I didn't know that! Of course you would, the violin is so pretty and graceful, it only makes sense. If you were an instrument, you would definitely be a violin. Or maybe a piano..."

Elsa giggled at Anna's strange comparison, seeing that her sister was just as wordy and energetic as she had been when they were kids.

"Those are pretty good instruments to be! Not that I would want you to be one, that would be awful!"

"What instrument would you be?" Elsa asked seriously.

"A tuba."

Elsa snorted at the tone her sister took; so calm, no embarrassment.

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm so clumsy, I feel like I move my feet like the sound a tuba makes."

There it was again, Elsa's deep and rich laugh that Anna was quickly finding she loved.

"Alright, I have to get to bed. I have work in the morning, and so do you," Elsa said, yawning mid-sentence. She sat on her bed and tucked her legs under the covers. Then she looked at Anna and patted the space next to her. Anna nearly jumped on the bed in excitement, slipped under the covers, and curled up right next to Elsa. Her older sister wrapped her arm around her waist and grabbed Anna's hand.

"Good-night, Anna."

"Good-night, Elsa. Sweet dreams."

And the two sisters slept peacefully just like that until morning came.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Anna woke up late the next morning, having never been a morning person. She groaned and stretched her arms out as far as they would reach before relaxing back into the bed comfortably. She opened her eyes slightly, and became very confused. An unfamiliar desk covered with documents was across from her. And her bed was on the wrong side of the room. Her walls were now a light purple, and little snowflakes were painted on them.

_Snowflakes,_ Anna thought, and she remembered the events from last night. Yelling at her sister, getting out her true feelings about the thirteen years of being alone. And then she had spent the night with Elsa. Anna looked to her right and frowned. Her older sister was no longer there, and instead a piece of paper was in her place. Anna grabbed the paper and held it up in front of her to read.

_Anna,_

_Good morning! I had to attend a meeting with some business partners early this morning. Sorry. Please don't sleep in too late, you have work to do as well. We'll meet up this afternoon and ...build a snowman? Remember when we used to do that?_

_See you soon,  
>Elsa<em>

Anna couldn't help but laugh at her sister. The mixture of business and sweetness was one that only Elsa could have written. Anna got out of Elsa's bed, slipped into her robe, and began the long walk back to her room, clutching the note tightly. Elsa had never really written her anything before, and Anna wanted to keep a document of her hand-writing to memorize and treasure.

When Anna reached the landing in between the two flights of stairs, she realized just how far away her room was from Elsa's. She didn't like that thought at all. There were plenty of empty rooms in that hallway that Anna could easily move into. It was silly for the sisters to be so far away from each other now that their friendship was rekindled. Even now, Anna felt a small ache in her heart, missing her sister.

_Elsa was right,_ Anna thought. _I do have a lot to do._ And she half-walked half-jogged back to her room to get ready for the day.

"Maybe a little to the right," Anna mused, staring at her bed. "A little further...No, wait, I liked it where it was before."

"Anna," Kristoff grumbled, pulling her bed back to the left. "Do you realize how heavy this thing is?"

"Well, not really, no. But it looks heavy! It took both you and Sven to carry it down and up the stairs! That just shows how strong you are!"

After putting on her everyday green dress over a cream-color tunic, and braiding her hair into pigtails, Anna had walked back over to Elsa's side of the castle in search of an empty room. Happily, she had found one just across from Elsa's that didn't have very much in it. Just a desk, a chair, and a bookshelf, which Anna supposed she would need eventually. Being the Princess of Arendelle came with duties as well, even if they were boring.

After deciding that the empty room was to now be her's, Anna had quickly walked over to Kristoff's house in town and asked for some help with moving her furniture.

"Why are you moving?" Kristoff had asked while tying up his boots. "Yours seems perfectly fine."

"Well, I think it's time for a change, you know? Change, while sometimes annoying and frustrating, is healthy!" Anna said enthusiastically.

Kristoff raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you going to want a change in...friends as well?" He hesitated at the word _friends_, having almost called himself _boyfriend_ instead. But he wasn't sure if Anna was quite ready to go that far yet, considering what happened the last time she had had a boyfriend. Of course, Kristoff wasn't a spoiled prince who was a psycho and pretended to love the princess just to kill her and her sister. But still...

"No, why would I want to change my friends? I love the ones I have!" Anna said brightly. "Now, will you please, please, _please_ help me move?" Anna begged, grabbing Kristoff's arm for emphasis.

He stared at her seriously. Then he said, "Fine, I'll help, if Sven gets to come along. And I'll need some sort of a bribe."

Anna thought for a minute before a sly smile came to her face. "How's this?" she asked, and gave him a light, gentle kiss.

"That will work," Kristoff said softly.

So Anna and Kristoff had grabbed Sven from the stables and headed back to the castle, playing Their Game. Anna had started it yesterday, when she realized that she didn't know Kristoff's favorite color.

"Don't you love this blue?" Anna had asked yesterday, holding up a new sash for Kristoff. She had taken him shopping to buy...appropriate clothing for the friend of a princess, and Kristoff had shaken his head.

"It's pretty, but I like green more. Like pine tree green."

Anna had just stared at the man and finally said, "I know absolutely nothing about you! This is what you were talking about with Hans!"

Kristoff had laughed and grabbed her hand. "See, I know a thing or two about love."

So Anna had invented Their Game. How it worked was she asked Kristoff a question, he would answer, and then ask her a question, and it just went back and forth like that.

"What's your favorite dessert?" Anna had asked as they walked through the castle gates and into the courtyard.

"Carrot cake," Kristoff said quickly. "Hands down."

Anna laughed, finding it appropriate that Kristoff, who would literally share a carrot with his reindeer, loved carrot cake.

"Okay, um, what's your favorite dessert?"

"Chocolate anything! Chocolate pie, chocolate ice cream, chocolates, chocolate cookies..."

"Okay, okay, I get it."

Now they were in Anna's new room, most of her stuff having been moved over. Her bed had been the last thing, and in order to move it, they had had to tie Sven to the front of it and pull while Kristoff pushed from the back. Olaf had found them mid-move and was helping Anna push around the rest of the furniture in her new room.

"Okay," Anna said, surveying her room. "This is good, right here! I love it!"

"Good, cause I'm done being a moving man," Kristoff said, slumped against Sven.

Olaf was wandering around the room, his snow flurry following him as he opened Anna's armoire, looked at the mirror, and climbed on and off her bed, leaving behind a trail of snow.

Anna walked over to Kristoff and hugged him. "Thank you," she said. "I promise, I will make this up to you."

Kristoff smiled and wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, sighing in contentment. "I love you, Anna of Arendelle," he mouthed, so Anna wouldn't hear. He was going to tell her, just not yet.

Little did he know that Anna had whispered, "I love you, Kristoff," into his shoulder so he wouldn't hear.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Elsa practically skipped through the halls as she left the throne room, relieved to be finished with all her meetings for the day, and anticipating the day she would have with Anna. The only thing that kept Elsa from running up to her room were the servants whom she passed. It would not be queenly to run through the castle halls like a little girl. So she resigned herself to a brisk walk, but she couldn't keep the small skip out of her steps. She hadn't felt this way since she was young, giggling and finding fun in every nook and cranny with a rambunctious Anna. Now, she was going to get to build a snowman with her sister, something she hadn't allowed herself to do in thirteen years.

As Elsa walked past the servants to the stairs, they stared at their queen and then quickly looked down, a smile on their lips to see her so happy. It had depressed the staff to watch Elsa have to go through her childhood isolated and kept away from human contact; they had all missed the bright and friendly girl she used to be. Seeing her genuinely happy and care-free now brought a light mood to the whole castle.

Elsa reached the stairs and began climbing up them, daring to go a little faster than before. It was only when she reached the landing that split off to her room and Anna's room that she stopped abruptly and stared at the purple carpet. Muddy footprints were stamped into the carpet everywhere. They went in all directions: down from Anna's stairs, to the landing, up to her stairs. From her stairs back up to Anna's stairs. And then down the stairs she had just ascended and back up again. The beautiful rich purple carpet was completely covered with muddy footprints. And not just footprints; there were _hoof_prints as well, following the same chaotic pattern.

Elsa looked up from the carpet and folded her arms, an amused and slightly annoyed expression showing on her face. There was only one person who would let someone into their castle with his pet reindeer tagging along.

Sighing, Elsa decided to go up to her room first to change into more comfortable clothes before facing whatever it was that Anna had been up to with Kristoff and Sven.

She was beginning to climb the stairs up to the third floor when she heard joyful shouts, Anna's giggle, and a deep chuckle that could only be Kristoff's, along with a snorting that Elsa supposed sounded like a reindeer. Curiosity and caution washed over Elsa, and she slowly walked up the rest of the stairs, following the muddy foot and hoof prints that spread out before her.

Elsa had expected to see everyone in her room, which would have greatly annoyed her. Sure, Anna being in her room was fine; she was her sister. But if Anna had invited the dirty, smelling mountain man and his reindeer, of all things, to her room, that was crossing a line. Elsa was very private about her life, a remnant from her thirteen years of isolation, and did not appreciate her sister just bringing in strangers into her room, her place of peace and quiet from the world.

Thankfully, no one was in her room, but rather in a room across from hers. Elsa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Why was everyone in there? That room had always been empty, as far as she knew. So what were they up to?

Elsa quietly walked over to the doorway and peered into the room, looking at the scene. What surprised her the most was that all of Anna's furniture and belongings were now in the room. Olaf was running around the room, bouncing on the bed, peering into drawers, and staring very hard at himself in the mirror, thinking it was another snowman. Anna, Kristoff, and Sven were in the center of the room, laughing at, Elsa supposed, Olaf. She looked at her sister, a smile coming to her face. Anna was staring up at Kristoff, an adoring look in her eyes that Elsa had only seen once before: with her parents. Kristoff was staring down at Anna with a similar expression, as though he couldn't get enough of looking at her. Elsa couldn't blame the mountain man; Anna was gorgeous, not just by her physical beauty, but by the joy and brightness that shone from her heart.

Elsa stayed in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt the moment, as Anna and Kristoff hugged each other tightly. From her view, Elsa could have sworn that Kristoff mouthed something like, _I love you Anna,_ but she wasn't sure. Elsa's smile widened even more, and she felt a tug at her heart. She was happy that her sister had finally found someone who truly loved her, but, strangely, a part of Elsa felt disappointed.

Before she could sift through her complicated emotions, Sven noticed her and snorted, causing Anna and Kristoff to break apart.

"Oh, we better clean up all the mud you two tracked in before Elsa sees. I don't think she would appreciate the mess we made moving into the room," Anna said, not noticing her sister.

"Uh-hum," Kristoff said, nudging the princess.

"What was that for? Don't deny that it wasn't you and Sven who covered the floor in mud, because it _certainly _wasn't me! Now come on..."

Kristoff turned Anna's head to the doorway, where Elsa stood, amused by her sister.

"Oh! Elsa, uh, hi! I didn't realize you were standing there. Um, how long, exactly, have you been standing there?"

Elsa chuckled and stepped in the room, walking to her sister. "Anna, why exactly did you decide to move all of your things into this room?"

Anna grabbed one of her braids and began twisting it around a finger. "Well, I was walking back to my room this morning, and I got to thinking, why are we still living in rooms that are so far away from each other? It's silly, now that we're together again. And then I thought, there must be plenty of empty rooms over here, and I could just move into one of them so we could be closer together. I hope you don't mind, I can move back if you..." Anna was cut off as Elsa pulled her sister into a tight hug.

"Oh Anna, no, I love that idea! Of course I want to be closer to you!"

Anna returned her sister's embrace.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Kristoff said, falling back against Sven. "If you had asked her to move back, you would have had to find a new moving man."

Elsa laughed and looked over the rugged man. Sure he needed some cleaning up, maybe new clothes and a haircut, but Elsa had to like him, because he cared for her sister. And she supposed his personality would eventually rub off on her.

"Okay," Elsa said, pulling away from her sister. "What do you say? Do you want to build a snowman?"

A slow smile crept onto Anna's face, and it grew wider and wider as tears welled up in her eyes. "I would love that, Elsa."


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry it has taken so long for me to update. I've been really busy with school and color guard. I hope you guys like the final chapter! Comments appreciated!

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><p><strong>CHAPTER SEVEN<strong>

Kristoff had bowed out of the room, Sven following him, noticing that the sisters wanted time alone. Olaf , oblivious, still remained, transfixed with the mirror and talking with, what he believed, was another snowman.

Elsa looked at her sister lovingly. "I thought we could use the ballroom, like we did when we were kids. If you'd rather be outside that's..."

"No!" Anna interjected. "Elsa, that would be wonderful. I would love that."

Elsa broke into a wide smile. "Well, alright then! Oh, before we go, you might want to put some warmer clothes on. I don't want you to freeze..." Elsa's speech slowed and quieted, as she realized what she was saying. Feelings of fear, distrust, and uncertainty began coursing through her body, as she imaged herself getting distracted and hitting Anna with ice again, freezing her little sister's heart for a second time. Though she now knew how to correct the mistake, Elsa couldn't help but feel that if she were to harm Anna one more time, her sister would leave her, forever.

The temperature around the two women dropped significantly, and Anna realized what her sister must be thinking. She grabbed Elsa's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Hey, Elsa. You have to stop thinking like that. Things are different now. You can control your powers! You're not going to hurt me. I trust you."

Elsa looked at Anna, tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks. "But what if I do hurt you? Surely you'll be fed up and leave. Never speak to me again or move to another kingdom..."

"Elsa," Anna whispered. "It hurts that you don't trust me enough to not leave you. Even if you were to hurt me, which you won't, I'm not going to leave! I just got you back, I don't want to ruin any of that!"

Elsa sniffed and wiped away her tears. She seemed to be shaking off her negative feelings, faster than Anna could have hoped for.

"Now," Anna said firmly. "This day is _not_ going to be spoiled by imagined scenarios of what could, but will most certainly not happen. Don't ruin our fun! Come help me pick out some warm clothes, and then we can go build our snowman!"

Elsa grinned and allowed her sister to pull her over to the armoire. Anna opened the doors and stuck her head inside, rummaging through numerous dresses, shoes, and under clothes, before reappearing with a heavy fur coat and gloves in hand.

"This should do," Anna said, slipping the coat and gloves on.

With a start, Elsa realized that it was the same outfit Anna had acquired earlier that week, when Elsa had ran away in terror that her long-kept secret had been revealed. It seemed ironic, but also fitting, in a way, that her sister would choose to wear the same clothes on the day they were to play in the snow again after over ten years.

"Come on!" Anna cried, either missing or ignoring her sister's distant expression. Anna grabbed Elsa's hand and tugged her out of the room, down the muddy hallway and a flight of stairs, to the second floor, where the ballroom was located. Anna suddenly slammed to a halt when she was about three feet away from the doors. Elsa's heels slipped on the hardwood floor, and she stumbled into her sister, nearly sending them both to the floor.

"Anna, what? Are you okay? I'm sorry, you just stopped so quickly..."

"No, it's okay, it's my fault," Anna said distantly, as she gripped Elsa's arm and stood up. The younger sister continued to stare at the double wood doors, her heartbeat getting faster and faster, yet her breathing becoming nearly nonexistent.

"A—Anna? Are you okay?" Elsa asked hesitantly. She wasn't used to this behavior from her sister at all. Usually it was the reverse; she would be the one freaking out while Anna expressed her concern and tried to calm her down.

Receiving no response from Anna, Elsa moved to face her sister. Anna was staring blankly at the doors, silent tears trickling down her freckled cheeks down onto her winter dress. Her hands quivered slightly, and her breath would hitch every so often.

"Anna, talk to me. What's wrong?" Elsa said, grabbing her sister in a gentle hug.

Anna returned the gesture, holding Elsa tightly. "It's just that, um, I never thought you and I would step foot into this room again, ever since our fight at your coronation celebration. I thought that that was it, that I had finally pushed too much and you did actually ran away. I was so scared and angry with myself. I had lost you, and now that you're here, and we're going to build a snowman together, I'm just so happy and relieved. I've wanted this for a really long time, Elsa, but I'm also scared that you'll leave again. I don't want to push you away..."

"Anna, listen to me," Elsa said, cupping her sister's chin in her hand. "I was fearful and ashamed of myself, and guilty and cowardly. I felt like a monster. And it was wrong for me to run away like that. I failed all our people, and I failed myself. But, mostly, I failed you, and believe me, I do not take that lightly at all. But you didn't push me away, you opened my eyes and helped me heal. And I will never _ever_ leave you again. I love you. Always have, always will."

Anna flung herself into her sister's arms and squeezed her tightly. Elsa wrapped her hands around Anna's waist and squeezed back, enjoying this feeling of being close to her sister. Finally, it seemed that all the hard feelings and fear had been shared and consoled. Now, maybe they could move on, stronger than before, and only look back at this experience to remind themselves of what was, and what would never be again.

"Now, come on. Together," Elsa said, placing her hand on one of the door handles.

Anna grinned up at her and did the same thing. Their remaining hands clutched each others.

"One," Elsa said.

"Two," Anna said.

"Three!" they cried together, flinging the doors open.

They quickly got to work. Elsa iced over the floor and made it snow, and once there was a good six inches of the snow on the floor, Anna began the process of rolling out the base for a snowman. Icicles grew along the walls and on the ceiling, and they shimmered with pink and yellow lights that danced across the room. They reflected the girls' joyful emotions. They giggled and laughed and shrieked when the occasional snowball was thrown, attracting the attention of the entire castle staff. They stood at the entry of the ballroom, absolutely quiet as they watched the scene before them. Anyone who had never seen this event before would just see two young women having fun in some snow. But the staff only saw before their eyes two young little girls who adored each other very much, giggling as their imaginations took them away. They all watched with huge smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes at the comforting image.

And Elsa and Anna were completely oblivious to their audience, entirely absorbed in each other, and the task of building a snowman.

**THE END**


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